Rack



Patented Mar, 12, 1935 1,994,195 RACK William B. Hay, Portland, Maine Application December 15, 1933, Serial No. 702,591

3 Claims.

This invention relates to kitchen accessories in the nature of racks for storing and holding pans, plates, and pot covers. An object of the invention is the provision of an improved metal Wire rack of openwork construction arranged to receive a plurality of different sized relatively fiat articles such as pie plates, shallow pans, and

pot covers, in readily accessible and nested relation. Another object is the provision of a rack of this nature that is equally adapted for table or wall support, and that supports contained articles on edge. Other objects will be apparent from the description.

The present disclosure deals with a preferred form of the invention. It is to be understood that the structural details thereof may be varied as desired in any embodiments not inconsistent with the scope of the invention as claimed. In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rack.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the rack illustrating the disposition of contained articles.

Figure 3 is a reduced top plan View of the rack.

The rack is made up of a plurality of wire frames assembled in basket form by rigid connection between the frames at their points of contact. of wire if desired.

In the illustrated embodiment the rack comprises a horizontally disposed rectangular wall frame W, a base frame B, and a pair of partition frames P disposed in the assembled relation shown in Figure 1 and rigidly united by suitable means, such as solder or spot welds at all points of contact. All frames are of one-piece construction.

The base frame B consists of a pair of parallel bottom bars 5 upturned in right angles at their ends to form pairs of uprights 6 connected by top bars 7, the length of the top bars determining the spacing of the parallel bars 5 and 6. The horizontal wall frame W is disposed within the base frame and consists of end bars 8 and parallel side bars 9, the bars 9 being attached to the uprights. 6 at approximately one third their height above the bottom bars 5.

Each partition frame P has its entire length disposed in a single vertical plane, and these frames are disposed longitudinally of the rack,- being with the upright sides 6, in mutually spaced parallel relation. Each partition frame consists of a bottom bar 10 attached to and overlying the bars 5 and upturned at each end to provide end wall bars 11 attached to and overlying the wall frame end bars 8. Just above the wall frame Metal bars or strips may be used in lieu the bars 11 are inclined inwardly and upwardly as diagonal bars 12, being connected by horizontal top bars 13 disposed substantially in a horizontal plane common to the top bars 7 of the uprights 6. The partition top bars, 13 are substantially coextensive in length with the top bars 7.

It will be readily apparent that a greater or lesser number of the partition frames may be employed, as desired, and that these frames may be made entirely rectangular instead of in the form shown, without departing from the principles of the invention.

This rack is peculiarly adapted to the convenient storage of relatively flat articles of circular shape, such as covers,-pie pans, and the like. In Figure 2 is shown the disposition of a pot cover 14 and a pie pan 15 supported on edge. In this manner a large number of such articles may be stored simply by nesting between the partition frames and the upright side frames at front and rear. r

The contained articles lean upon the partition and side frames, the bottom bars 10 serving as abutments against which the edges of the articles rest, thus preventing too great an inclination and thereby increasing the capacity of the rack and the accessibility of contained articles.

The length and spacing of the bottom bars is such that the rack cannot tilt when supported on a flat surface, such as a table top or shelf. When Wall supported, the vertical disposition and spacing of the uprights 6 insures the maintenance of the rack in a horizontal position so that its contents cannot be spilled.

I claim:

1. A rack comprising a rectangular wire frame having a much greater length than width and being bent in right angles toward its ends to provide parallel spaced uprights, a rectangular wire frame disposed horizontallyv between said uprights and contacting the same, and a substan tially rectangular wireframe disposed in a vertical plane between said uprights and parallel thereto, said vertical frame contacting the horizontal frame at the ends thereof and contacting the bars of said first named frame inwardly of the rack to form with said bars the bottom of the rack.

2. A rack for supporting substantially flat circular articles on edge, comprising an open-work wire basket-like body having a one-piece wire frame shaped to provide parallel upright side pieces integrally united by a single pair of spaced parallel bars forming the rack bottom, a substantially rectangular wire frame disposed horizontally between said side pieces to provide side and end walls for the rack, and partition means seated on said pair of parallel bars at right angles tion of said side bars and extending thereabove to provide rests against which articles may lean, a single pair of parallel bars connecting said uprights to provide the rack bottom, and at least one partition frame parallel to said side bars and connected to said end bars and'having a bottom bar seated inwardly upon said pair of bottom bars at right angles thereto, the interior of the rack being unobstructed longitudinally between said partition frame and the. side bars WILLIAM B. HAY. 

